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Forget Claude Puel – Here Are 3 Perfect Replacements Southampton Should Consider

Southampton boss Claude Puel
Claude Puel

Three Candidates For Southampton To Consider If Claude Puel Leaves At The End Of The Season

Reports in The Telegraph claim that Southampton manager Claude Puel’s future at the club is in danger as the club are set to review their options at the end of the season. After a few years of over-achieving under former managers Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, the Southampton fans have been let down by a mediocre season under the new manager.

Despite leading the Saints to the EFL Cup final and leading them to 9th place in the Premier League standings, Puel could find himself out of the job at the St. Mary’s just after a season in charge. With that in mind, we take a look at three managers who could potentially take over from the Frenchman if Southampton decide to let him go at the end of the season:

Unai Emery

Southampton tried to bring the current Paris Saint-Germain manager to the St. Mary’s in an ambitious move last summer when Ronald Koeman vacated the managerial position. But, he chose to join the French giants instead.

However, his time in the capital city of France might be coming to an end after an underwhelming debut season. Having crashed out of the Champions League despite being in a great position, and finding themselves 2nd in the Ligue1 table, the club hierarchy will not be pleased with the disappointing campaign and may decide to let him go at the end of the season.

Emery may not have had the best of the seasons with PSG, but his work with Sevilla in the past remains unparalleled and he could be a possible target if Puel leaves in the summer.

Unai Emery
Unai Emery

Roberto Mancini

The former Manchester City manager has been without a job since he left Inter Milan at the start of this season and could find the Southampton project an enticing opportunity.

Mancini has years of experience and has had great success in his first spell with Inter where he won three Scudettos consecutively, starting from the 2005-06 season and then with Manchester City as well. He led the Citizens through the process of rebuilding under the new ownership and managed to lead them to their first title win in ages, back in 2011/12.

A manager with proven track record and several years of experience in the Premier League, Mancini could prove to be a great appointment if the Saints can pull it off.

Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini

Frank De Boer

Another manager who was high on the list of the Southampton hierarchy to take over the mantle after Koeman left, De Boer chose to join Inter Milan instead where he was sacked within months, after an extremely poor start.

The Dutchman has been out of a job since then, but his track record with former club Ajax shows that he can cut it out if persisted over a period of time. The 46-year old led the Dutch side to 4 Eredivisie titles during his tenure with the club and was known for the attacking brand of football his teams played – something that the Saints have lacked this season.

His disastrous short spell at Inter may have blotted his managerial career, but De Boer, like Koeman, can take Southampton to new heights and is definitely worth looking at as a serious option.

Frank De Boer
Frank De Boer